Morgan's Corner: Ready for education earthquake?

View full sizeJournal photoJersey City schools Superintendent Marcia V. Lyles visits with 3rd graders in Ms. Bresnick's class at School 38 during the first day of school on Sept. 5.

There's a rumor circulating among Jersey City school board activists and board members that the state has some sort of "School Turn Around Proposal." One that could change the Jersey City's status as a takeover district, that could lead to the closure of 200 predominantly black and Latino schools.

While state Department of Education spokeswoman Barbara Morgan said there is no such plan in the works, she did confirm that the DOE has submitted a grant application to the California-based Broad Foundation seeking $7.6 million in grants to aid in implementing the aforementioned new school turnaround plan.

When reached, Sharon Krengel, policy and outreach coordinator for the Education Law Center in Newark, said she stands by the reports of her agency, including a related document issued in May, saying New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf has a plan that could result in the closure of as many as 75 predominantly black and Latino schools in poor neighborhoods in three years.

Jersey City board officials have received emails and communication for various sources concerning the "Turn Around Proposal," and it's creating a stir among Jersey City school board members and public school activists.

A July 31 document the ELC obtained through an OPRA request says the proposal to the Broad Foundation outlines steps to aggressively intervene in schools recently designated as "priority" and "focus" schools because of low test scores. Portions of the plan sound radical, such as the suspension of existing collective bargaining agreements and creation of an "Achievement School District" (ASD) based on the model adopted to reopen schools in New Orleans, post-Katrina.

Under ASD all schools would be under the commissioner's authority, with the following provisos. No possible appeal by the school or its district to escape the ASD designation and the suspension of contracts. It also calls for turning over the schools to private charter or Education Management Organizations (EMO) with the EMO controlling all personnel decisions.

It also would return the state-operated districts (Newark, Jersey City, Paterson) to local control within four years, while keeping some schools in those districts in the ASD. Also, it would take state control of any district with more than 40 percent low performing "priority" schools and possibly close schools that don't show enough improvement after two years.

According to the ELC documents, the final turnaround plan could trigger direct interventions effecting approximately 253 schools and almost 185,000 students
In March, the Broad Foundation notified Cerf that his office would receive $1.9 million to support the plan. In an email, Cerf said it was the largest grant Broad has ever made to a state department of education, according to the ELC-obtained July 31 document.

But the document goes on to say there is no evidence that Cerf submitted the plans for Regional Achievement Centers, which would be responsible for overseeing the local ASDs that would replace existing educational efforts, to the state Board of Education or Legislature prior to his submission to the Broad Foundation.

The ELC report notes that Broad is well known for placing foundation-trained administrators in key positions in urban school districts. The Newark law center notes a Broad memo, included in the OPRA-provided documents, cites its success in placing 30 sitting superintendents in large urban systems as well as state superintendents in four of the most reform-oriented states, including New Jersey.

An issue was raised by Jersey City public school activists opposing the hiring of school Superintendent Marcia Lyles, saying that she has a Broad Foundation affiliation.

Broad aggressively promotes charter schools, public school closures, and corporate-style management of public education, according to the ELC report.